Horticulture is one of the most popular American hobbies and can be a great way to get some fresh air and exercise while making your house look more attractive. If you are interested in learning more about how to maximize your green thumb potential, you have come to the right place!
Plants that result in a larger yield should be higher on your priority list when planning the garden. A disease-resistant hybrid plant can be a good option to consider over a more traditional variety due to its tendency to produce higher yields.
Organize your garden so that all your plants are exposed to the sun most of the time. Your house or your trees cast shadows: keep in mind that these shadows move throughout the day. You ideally want your plants to be exposed to the sun in the morning and the afternoon, but not around noon, especially in the summer time.
Avoid rose mildew. This fungus affects many types of roses, especially in wet weather, when days are warm and nights are cold. Small gray or white spots will appear on the plant, forming a felt-like down. Shoot tips are killed and buds fail to open. Don't plant roses close together - they need good air circulation to avoid mildew. Spray any affected plants with fungicidal soap.
Make sure to protect your hands when working in your yard. Dirt and chemicals can be very harsh on your skin. However, the solution to this problem is very easy: horticulture gloves. Gloves range from cheaper cottons (that wear easily) to more durable leather (which are more expensive). Look around your local garden supply center to find a pair of gloves that you feel comfortable working with to save your hands.
Invest in a good pair of horticulture gloves to protect your hands while working outdoors. Whether you are working with plants with thorns or with fertilizer, gloves can protect your skin from damage from both plants and chemicals. They also do a great job at protecting your hands from dirt or sap stains and make cleanup much easier.
To keep your plants from suffering irreparable damage, be sure to check them for bugs and various diseases at least once a week. All these problems are much easier to treat if caught quickly, and monitoring them closely can keep them from spreading to other plants. Research ways to treat common problems so that you'll be prepared for whatever you encounter.
Diversify the types of plants you grow in your garden. If you only https://mapsconnect.apple.com/business/ui/editPlace?id=66e39f6f-d076-11e5-8c26-45bcc3a54bd1 grow one type of plant in your garden and it gets infected with a disease, your whole garden could be wiped out. Also, if you are only growing tomato plants, remember that just 14 tomato plants can yield a year's supply of tomatoes for two people.
Mini roses are very popular and are low maintenance. They come in many bright colors and offer a variety of interesting flower shapes. However, if you want to add a rose to your garden for the fragrance, then a mini-rose may not be a good choice because they produce little to no fragrance. If fragrance is your preference, try a larger, hybrid rose for the most intense fragrance.
When gardening, it is wise to rotate your crops, especially if you are growing more than one crop of fruits or vegetables in your garden each year. This helps to conserve the nutrients in the soil. It also helps to avoid diseases in the soil. Even with crop rotation, nutrients needed to be added back into the soil after each planting season.
Get rid of any garden pests immediately. Garden pests, such as red spider mites, ants, whitefly, and aphids, can infect your plants with various diseases, so if you notice any of the plants in your garden dying or failing to thrive, check for pests first. To get rid of garden pests, invest in a good pesticide.
Deter bugs without pesticides with careful planting. Planting marigolds along the edges of your garden, or planting garlic, parsley, and basil within your garden can repel bugs without resorting to harsh chemicals. These plants give off strong scents which are unappealing to most insects. With these in your garden, pests will steer clear.
A great tip when beginning an organic gardening is to add lime to your seed-starter mix. This is done to reduce the acidity of your peat. Too much acidity can damage it. You should aim to add around 1/4 teaspoon of lime in every single gallon of your seed-starter mix.
Add vines to your landscape. You can get a wide range of plants that are vines. Some ornamental, and some fruit or vegetable varieties. Vines can grow up most fences or structures. Use them to create more interesting landscapes in your yard. Have them grow up an awning, and create shade for you.
Introducing organic and non-chemical protection against common garden pests like aphids and grasshoppers is the ideal solution to keep your garden alive and well. Instead of using harmful chemical and caustic, unnatural methods, opt for approaches like physical removal of pests, erecting fences, nets, or protective barriers, or botanical pesticides.
Protect your seeds from fungus with natural products. You can use milled sphagnum moss to protect all your plants. If your seeds need light to grow, sprinkle the moss first and then place your seeds. This solution is much better than any chemicals you can find in a store and will protect your seeds efficiently.
You can grow many different plants in your garden. Treat plants that thrive in acid to some mulch. Spread two inches of pine needles in the fall every year. Pine needles in particular produce a lot of acid as they begin to decompose. Your plants will love this.
Maintain your soil with kitchen ingredients. If you don't http://www.designrulz.com/outdoor-design/garden/2011/11/excellent-ideas-for-decorating-your-terrace/ have a compost pile, you can amend your soil by using ingredients from the kitchen. For example, finely chopped up boiled veggie scraps, eggshells or fruit peel can be worked into the soil to provide essential minerals. Coffee grounds work particularly well around plants such as rhodies and azaleas, and the remaining water after boiling eggs is full of calcium that will give a boost to any plant.
Now, don't you feel better after reading all those tips? That was a lot of information to think upon and read through, but at least now you know what to do and where to begin with your horticulture. Plus, you can always refer back to the above list of tips if you forget. Pretty convenient, huh?